Kelley's Corner project in Acton could begin in 2021

Thursday

A recent Massachusetts Department of Transportation hearing regarding the Kelley's Corner Infrastructure Project drew over 100 people, according to Acton town officials.

MassDOT officials and representatives of Greenmen-Pedersen, Inc., engineering firm which designed the current plan presented it Tuesday evening. MassDOT would fund the more than $14 million project through the Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Transportation Improvement Program. The Town of Acton would be responsible for design costs and any land that needed to be acquired acquired along portions of Main Street and Community Lane. The design, if it proceeds, would be completed by the winter of 2021, according to the presentation, and construction would begin at the start of 2022 and take about 24 months.

The project, according to the town, would reconstruct portions of routes 27 and 111, as well as sections of Community Lane and Charter Road to reduce congestion and make it safer for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.

The presentation detailed the issues of the intersection including traffic congestion and safety issues, and the steps that would be taken to improve them.

The presentation and other documents related to the Kelly's Corner project, as well as the recording of the public hearing, is available on the Kelley's Corner page on the town's website.

Officials and resident comments

State and town officials, including Sen. Jamie Eldridge, D-Acton, Rep. Tami Gouveia, D-Acton and Rep. Jen Benson, D-Lunenberg, Detective Chris Prehl, the Acton Police Department's traffic safety officer, as well as town official Diane Baum, chair of the Acton-Boxborough Regional School Committee, along with several residents, spoke in favor of the project.

“This design would help improve not only pedestrian safety, but also encourage more people to bicycle," said Eldridge, who is also an Acton resident. "I think the newly proposed design would make it a more attractive area as well.”

"We feel that these improvements are critical to maintain safety of students," said Baum.

There were, however, concerns raised by other residents who asked about the project's impacts, including tree removal, the proposed widening of roads, construction disruption, as well as the known gas leaks in the area.

Christopher Starr, who along with Christopher Bailey, owns the land at 263 Main St. where the restaurant Bueno Y Sono is located. Starr said he was pleased that the new plan would not remove any parking spots form the restaurant, and said he would support the project, provided that the current plan is the one that will be constructed and that the town addresses any short-term impacts to businesses during construction. He added he shared some of Green Acton's concerns, such as widening roads and asked for their concerns and the concerns of other residents be heard.

Green Acton, an organization that works to protect and enhance Acton’s natural environment and resources and helps resolve environmental issues, has yet to respond to the current plan. It did write a response to the previous plan where it expressed concern over aspects of the plan, including tree removal and a perception that the plan too highly prioritized increasing traffic flow.

Written comments and open houses

"I was overwhelmed with the turnout and support at the public hearing for the proposed project at Kelley's Corner," Selectmen Chair Katie Green said in a press release. "State legislators, business owners, citizens' groups and residents asked thoughtful questions and shared why they see this proposal as the best way to create a safe, accessible, and welcoming area for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers alike. Completing this project is the Board of Selectmen's top priority this year and we are grateful to everyone who came out to support the project."

Acton Town Manager John Mangiaratti said he was pleased with the turnout, the questions asked by residents and the explanations given. He said the current plan's revisions were made in response to resident feedback and that there would be four open-house events in the coming week for residents to learn more about the current plan.

The open houses will be held at Acton Town Hall and at the following dates and times:

Wednesday, March 13 from 1-3 p.m. and 7-8:30 p.m.Thursday, March 21 from 1-3 p.m. 7-8:30 p.m.

Residents may submit written comments regarding the project to:

Patricia A. Leavenworth, P.E.

Chief Engineer, MassDOT

10 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 02116

Attention: Roadway Project Management, Project File No. 608229

The project will be voted on at Town Meeting on April 1, at 7 p.m., at Acton-Boxborough Regional High School.